A step at a time: The resettlement needs of Irish people returning from prison overseas

Gavin, Paul

Abstract

On release from prison, ex-prisoners require a range of supports in order to successfully resettle back into the community and avoid re-offending. First and foremost, they will require access to accommodation and money, for example through the social welfare system. Some ex-prisoners may also have physical and mental health issues, including addiction issues, and may need to access relevant services as well as registering with a GP and obtaining a medical card. In the longer term ex-prisoners may have retraining and educational needs to address in order to re-enter the workplace.
Whilst these resettlement needs may be common to all ex-prisoners, the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) has observed that the particular circumstances of Irish people in prison overseas, and the difficulties they face, can place them in greater need of post-release support and can put them at a particular disadvantage when it comes to preparing for release. This report was commissioned in order to further investigate the particular resettlement needs of Irish people returning to Ireland from prison overseas.
The ICPO works with approximately 1,200 Irish people imprisoned in more than 30 countries around the world. It provides information, support and advice to prisoners and their families. Part of the ICPO’s work involves supporting returning ex-prisoners in their resettlement. This research was conducted in two stages. The first was to engage in a general review of the literature on resettlement and of Foreign National Prisoners (FNPs). Particular resettlement pathways were identified and used as a prism through which the resettlement needs of returning Irish ex-prisoners was examined. The following resettlement pathways were utilised:
• Accommodation
• Education, Training and Employment
• Health and Addiction Issues
• Finance
• Family.
The second stage involved conducting a series of semi-structured interviews with ex-prisoners who had returned to Ireland, and with resettlement service providers and with ICPO staff. Their views and opinions were sought on a wide range of issues relevant to the resettlement process. These interviews proved very useful for this research as they provided an original and undocumented source of information on the topic of Irish ex-prisoner resettlement needs. They provided first-hand accounts of imprisonment abroad as well as outlining the challenges they encountered upon their return to Ireland. Interviews with service providers working with returning FNPs allowed for an examination of the same issues from a different perspective.
A relatively small number (estimated to be less than 100) Irish ex-prisoners return to Ireland each year. However, of those that do, a significant number are acutely vulnerable and lack many of the basic social supports people take for granted. This modest figure means that any proposed changes or recommendations cited in this report do not carry substantial resource implications.

• Report Type: Consultancy Report
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Feb 26, 2022
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8222216